Learning Experience
by onlyonceinforever
Summary: When Spencer Reid and a new member of the BAU are sent out on their own, how will they fare? NOT ROMANCE. Just Spence coming out of his shell a bit.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: All right, what do I own here... the random story idea (I think I need to cut down on the caffeine), the random new chick, and... I think that's about it. Oh, and I don't hate Morgan, but sometimes he really annoys me. Like when he's mocking poor Spence. Oh, and I don't actually know how old Spence is, or when his birthday is, so I made it up.**

It was a normal day at the B.A.U. headquarters. Except that everything was quiet and nobody was arguing or mocking anybody else. And there was no case to investigate. All in all, it was a very non-normal day at the B.A.U. headquarters.

"Hey," Derek said, tossing a ball of paper to himself over and over again. "What was it that Gideon was saying earlier about some new person?"

"That we're getting one? That's about all I can tell you." Hotch leaned back in his chair, placing his feet up on the desk.

"Her name is Christina Hutchinson." Spencer said, drawing the attention of the other two agents. "Her uncle's a higher-up in the FBI and she's coming here straight out of school."

"Great," Derek said bitterly, "She'll probably turn out to be one of those prissy chicks who expect everything to be handed to them just because her uncle's in a power position."

"Now now, Derek, you could be totally wrong about her." Hotch said with a smirk. "She could turn out to be someone who knows what they're talking about. Unlike some members of this unit that I could name." he shot a pointed look at Derek, who ignored him.

"Why don't we refrain from passing judgment until we've met her?" Spencer suggested. The others reluctantly agreed.

Many more minutes passed in silence.

"So, I'd say she's a bit late, then, huh?" Derek commented snidely.

"Come on, Morgan, cut her some slack, will you? Her car could have broken down or something."

At that moment, Gideon entered the room, followed by a teenage-looking girl.

"Or her mommy couldn't drive her." Derek said softly, hiding behind his desk to mask his laughter.

"Everyone, this is our new addition to the team, Christina Hutchinson. Christina, Agents Hotchner and Morgan, and Dr. Reid." Gideon pointed to each member in turn. They all nodded politely, except for Derek, who was still attempting to control his laughter. "I expect you'll all play nicely now."

"Of course, sir." The newcomer smiled sweetly.

"Good." With that, Gideon exited the room, leaving the members of the B.A.U. to become acquainted.

"Well, this is going well." Christina commented after a moment of silence. The others nodded in agreement, but did nothing to change it. Eventually, Spencer spoke.

"So, Christina-"

"Tina."

"What?"

"Call me Tina, not Christina. My full name annoys me."

"Okay. So, Tina, where did you go to school?" Hotch and Derek rolled their eyes, knowing full well that there was nothing Spencer loved more than knowledge.

"Stanford. Psychology major, but then again, aren't we all?"

The comment was met with varying degrees of agreement.

"Have you ever dealt with criminals before, uh, Tina?" Hotch asked.

"Only if you count the ones in my family." Tina smirked. "Just kidding, but no, really, I did an internship at a psychiatric facility where it was my job to determine if the people there were competent to stand trial."

"Really?" Spencer looked interested. "Did you enjoy that?"

Tina shrugged.

"I guess. But I always wanted to do something more, you know? Like, catch the criminals instead of dealing with them after they're already caught."

"So uncle-dearest got you a job at the FBI?" Derek asked, looking skeptical.

Tina shot him a glare.

"Ha ha, no. My uncle has nothing to do with why I'm here. In fact, the last time I even _talked_ to him was at my elementary school graduation. So get it out of your heads that I'm only here because of who my family is."

The comment was met with silence that remained many minutes longer. Tina decided to break it again.

"Anybody up for a little gambling? We could head out, hit the slots, make a night of it."

"Are you even old enough to gamble?" Derek asked skeptically. Tina ignored him and continued.

"Dr. Reid? How 'bout it? You, me, your superior intellect making me a very rich girl...?"

Spencer looked at his shoes, mumbling incoherently under his breath.

"O...kay. Agent Hotchner? Come on, what'd ya say? It'll be fun."

Before Aaron had the chance to respond, Derek interrupted, always to pit-bull with a bone he couldn't let go of.

"Really, how old are you?"

Tina shot him a dirty look.

"Don't you know it's impolite to ask a lady her age?"

"I thought you were never supposed to ask about their weight." Spencer commented.

"That too." Tine said, a faint tinge coloring her cheeks. "So, back to what I was saying-"

"Come on, just one thing," Derek broke in. "At least tell us if you're younger than the good doctor here." He gestured to Spencer, who immediately busied himself with some papers on his desk.

"Depends," Tina smirked, an impish look in her eye, "How old is he?"

"Reid, how old are you?" Derek asked bluntly.

"Twenty four." Spencer muttered, a blush rising to his cheeks.

"Um..." Tina's gaze scanned the room, falling on everything _except_ the expectant agent. "When?"

Spencer was silent for a moment until he realized the question was directed at him.

"April twenty fourth," he replied quietly.

"April twenty fourth," Derek repeated, turning his attention back to Tina.

"I'm not deaf," she snapped in response. "And to answer your question, he's older than me."

Derek looked triumphant. Then Hotch opened his mouth.

"By how much?"

The cheerful look dropped off the agent's face faster than an ice cube disintegrating on the sun.

"Four months and three days." Tina muttered, looking embarrassed.

"Nooo!" Derek howled. He slammed a fist against one of the the hard, steel desks in frustration. The cry of failure quickly morphed into one of extreme pain.

The other members of the B.A.U. rolled their eyes.

"So!" Tina said cheerfully, shifting the attention off the wounded agent. "Who wants to go out later?"

"Nobody's going anywhere for a while." Gideon entered the fray.

"We get something?" Hotch asked, the other crowding around their leader, waiting for more information. Well, the others minus Derek, that is.

"Gideon!" he exclaimed morosely. "Please tell me this- this-" he gesticulated madly toward Tina "-person is younger than she says!"

While other people would have merely stared at him for such a question, Gideon did not.

"If the 'person' you are referring to if Agent Hutchinson, she will be twenty five years of age on the twenty seventh of August, in the year 2006." he ignored his underling's utterance of dismay and continued as if nothing had happened. "The Palumbos. Nice, upstanding family, moved here recently from Pennsylvania, mother's a chef at Villardi's, father's an accountant. Two kids, ages six and nine, boy and girl. Presents as a murder/homicide, except for one thing - suicides typically don't chop off their own hands."

The group winced simultaneously, muttering different variations of "Ouch."

"I'll get the car," Hotch said, reaching for his jacket.

"No, you won't." Gideon proclaimed, shooting Hotch a look. "I want Reid and Hutchinson on this one."

The declaration was met by three different voices exclaiming, "But Gideon!"

"Gideon, did you forget what happened the last time Reid was sent to do something on his own? He almost got himself killed!" Hotch exclaimed. Then, he turned to Spencer. "No offense."

"Offense taken." Spencer murmured almost silently. He was ignored as Derek jumped in.

"Gideon, you can't be serious! Hutchinson's had no field experience and wonder-boy here's definitely not the best one to be teaching her! Sorry, Reid." Derek's apology was rather delayed. Before either Spencer or Gideon had the chance to reply, Tina interjected.

"Sir, as much as I hate to admit it, I agree with Agent Morgan. I pretty much have no idea what to do and... Wouldn't it be better if I observed a case before taking on one of my own?"

"Gideon. And you won't be on your own. Dr. Reid will be with you."

"Like Agents Hotchner and Morgan have stated, with all due respect, sir, I'm not sure if that's the best idea. I mean, what if we run into trouble? Dr. Reid hardly seems one to know what to do in a crisis. Sir." The formality was added almost as an afterthought.

"Well, hopefully, that won't happen, but if it does, I thin you'll be fine. Spencer's gun-handling capabilities have improved tremendously-"

"Yeah, except that I was aiming for his leg..."

"-And your results from the shooting range were exceptional for someone who hasn't been doing field work for the past four years."

Tina gave a tiny, thin-lipped smile.

"What's the address?" she asked, tugging the keys from Hotch's hand.

"76 Fairview Drive." Gideon gave them an appraising look. "And to answer your question, I'd rather have you go out and develop your own method of profiling than take the time to learn someone else's. And besides, Reid needs to learn to take care of himself instead of letting everyone else protect him." At this statement, Spencer turned a spectacular shade of red and turned for the door. "Consider it a learning experience."

Tina moved to follow him.

" 'Learning experience.' Yeah, right."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Nothing has changed. Except my grades, which are steadily going downhill.**

**A/N: Thanks to Jess for pointing out that Spence is 24, not 25! The episode that that was cited in was before I really watched the show. Thanks again!**

The car ride to number 76 Fairview Drive was an exceptionally silent one. When the two members of the Behavioral Analysis Unit pulled into the driveway, neither spoke, both opting to sit there in silence.

"So," Tina said finally, shattering the minutes of quiet, "What should I call you?"

Spencer, for all his superior intellect, was caught off guard.

"What?"

"Dr. Reid, Spencer, something else? How do you want me to refer to you?"

Spencer evaded the question with one of his own.

"If you don't mind me asking, I noticed you always refer to people by their title and last name. Is there a reason?"

Tina smiled, glad for an excuse to stay in the car longer.

"Sure. My father was in the Army. When I was growing up, he taught me to always address my superiors with respect." she grinned again, gazing fondly out the window. "All my teachers loved me for it... As time went on, I guess it just became second nature for me to do that. What about you? I noticed you don't refer to anyone by their first name, even though you work with them."

She was greeted with silence.

"All right, I won't pry." At that moment, she spotted an uniformed officer walking in their direction. As she stepped out of the car, Tina added, "Tina."

Spencer paused what he was doing.

"Call me Tina." she flashed him a grin, knowing he would have never asked.

"All right," he whispered, only loud enough for himself to hear. They began to walk toward the uniform in silence. When they were still just out of an ear shot, he said, "Spencer."

"What?" Tina hadn't been paying attention.

"Spencer. That's what you should call me." He looked away quickly, clearly embarrassed. Tina grinned widely.

"All right, but don't hold it against me if I slip, okay?"

Spencer was saved from answering as, at that moment, they arrived in front of the uniformed officer. Tina took initiative

"I'm Agent Hutchinson, this is Dr. Reid, from B.A.U. What do you have for us?"

"This way." The uniform gestured for the agents to follow him into the house.

At first glance, it would seem as if the house was one in which nothing terrible could ever happen in. The exterior was painted a vibrant shade of blue, the shutters in a matching hue of purple. A large flower garden occupied the majority of the front yard, giving the entire place the look of something out of someone's happy place. The inside proved the same.

Upon entering the front door, visitors were greeted with a well-lit environment and cheery decor. Flowers and other potted plants sat in pots and vases throughout the house, giving the illusion of a greenhouse.

The kitchen was no different than the rest of the interior. The refrigerator was covered in papers done by children held on by magnets. Drawing, school papers, report cards, it was all there. Even the dishes waiting to be dried were organized.

The children's rooms seemed normal enough, as well. The girl's was as the room of a girl's her age would typically be - covered in posters of boy bands and cute animals. Tina shuddered as she recalled the phase in her life when she too liked those things before moving onto the boy's room. Sports trophies and an outdated computer sat on the shelves and desk, the floor littered with various types of action figures. To the casual observer, it would seem like this family was completely normal, excluding the affinity for green.

But it was Spencer and Tina's job to know differently. Something had gone horribly wrong in that house and it was up to them to figure out what.

"Um, Spencer?" Tina said, distractedly as she avoided running into yet _another_ Crime Scene Unit member, "What do we do if we want the CSUs gone?"

Spencer looked at her, perplexed.

"Why?"

"Because I don't want them touching everything. It's kinda anal, but I want everything exactly where it was when the deaths occurred." she stated, snatching a piece of paper from someone's hands.

"I... don't know. Maybe we should call Gideon." Spencer suggested.

"No." Tina rejected the idea immediately. "If we call him, he's going to think that we can't handle this on our own. And that is just not acceptable. Any other bright ideas in that genius head of yours?"

Spencer leaned against the kitchen table, deep in thought.

"We could just ask them to leave." he said after a moment of pondering.

"That might just work," Tina exclaimed happily. Her tone, however, quickly changed. "Except for the part where they won't."

"Don't be so sure about that." Spencer said. Tina could swear there was a maniac twinkle in his eyes when he vocalized the words. "You forget that we're with the FBI."

Tina's face lit up with joy.

"Spence, you rock!" She had to work very hard in order to not hug him. Spencer turned a brilliant shade of red at the praise and use of nickname, and looked away quickly. Tina didn't notice, however, as she was busy issuing an ultimatum.

"All right, I want everybody out! Yeah, that's right, out. You heard me."

The declaration was met with a series of strange looks. It was evident that most of the people in the house were beginning to think that this new addition was one who should be locked up in an asylum.

"Are you all deaf? I said _out_!" She gesticulated toward the door, looking annoyed. A few of the Crime Scene Unit members muttered something under their breath and made their way out, only to be stopped by their seniors.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" A heavyset woman with a thick Southern accent approached Tina and Spencer, looking rather angry.

"What do you _think_ I'm doing?" Tina shot. "I'm getting rid of your people before they contaminate my crime scene!"

"_Contaminate your_ _crime scene_?" the woman screeched. "Do you realize what our job is here?"

"Damn straight I do, and the last time I checked, the rules stated if the CSU is impairing the investigation of a federal agency, the aforementioned federal agency holds the right to tell them to get the hell out at any time." Tina smirked snidely. "Comprende?"

The woman looked infuriated.

"Do you realize that by telling us to leave, you are potentially forfeiting any chance you have of making a case in court based on material evidence?"

"I'm not an idiot. Of course I know that. The real question here is do you know that federal agents are trained in doing the exact same thing you people are, only better? If there is any forensic evidence around, Dr. Reid here and I will take care of it. Now get the hell out before I call your superior!"

The woman glared at Tina, struggling to find the right words to say in retaliation. When she failed, she stomped her foot in a childish manner and shouted "Fine!" before storming out of the house.

Once they were all gone, Tina breathed a sigh of relief as she sank against the refrigerator.

"Thank God they're gone. If I had to watch one more incompetent idiot make a mess of my crime scene, I would've..." she trailed off at the look on Spencer's face. "What?"

"Nothing." he said quickly. "I've just never seen anyone do something like that before."

Tina gave him a thin-lipped smile.

"Well, you better get used to it."

They stood there in silence for a moment longer. Finally, Tina broke the silence.

"So, now that those imbeciles are gone, let's get started on this, shall we?"

Spencer nodded in agreement and followed her up the stairs.

**All right, I'm going to give you guys a choice - Either you can get frequent, short chapters or longer ones less frequently. The way you answer determines when the next chapter will be up. Peace!**


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